I am in the process of finishing my basement, and because the joists are pretty low, I was thinking about sheetrocking the ceiling instead of installing a dropped ceiling. However, would it be a code violation to sheetrock over the gas and water lines? We can put in access panels for the valves, and we can make diagrams of all the pipes etc for future repairs. But I worry that some future home owner might try to hang up a plant or something and drill into one of the gas or water lines (the lines are all copper and run directly below and perpendicular to the joists) I was also thinking that perhaps there was a way to "protect" the lines by installing a steel plate or something under them before putting up the sheet rock?
- posted
18 years ago